Improvement in guiding apparatus for cloth-shearing machines



nL. M.. COLLINS.

Guiding Apparatus for'rCloth Sh'earing Machines..

N`0}l.25,722. u Patented ApriI12,18-72.

"Wmsses, v

LAROE M. COLLINS, OFLEBANON, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO AMASA l ATES wooLsoN, or SPRINGFIELD, VERMONT.

IMPROVEMENT IN GUIDING APPARATUS FOR CLOTH-SHEARING MACHINES.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 125,722, dated April 16, 1872.

Specification describing certain Improvements in Guiding Apparatus for Cloth-Shearing Machines, invented by LARGE M. Cor.- LINs, of Lebanon, in theV county of Grafton and State of New Hampshire.

This invention relates to certain improvements in the arrangement and operation of the feelers" and "movable rests77 in clothshearing machines which govern and direct the movements of the cloth in its passage through thewmachine; and it consists in the employment and combinationof mechanism for producing an automatic movement of the "rests" in a better and simpler manner than has heretofore been done.

In the accompanying drawing a port-ion of one side of the machine only is shown, as its operation can be readilyunderstood from these views by any cloth-manufacturer.

Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of the frame and mechanism on one side of the machine. Fig. 2 is a top. view. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same.

General Description.

A. represents a portion of the frame of the machine, and a., the part forming the stationary rest over which the cloth moves. Bis a sliding bar moving` in a groove in the frame, and provided with a iatchet, E. O C are the movable rests," arranged in line with the stationary edge a, and working in a slot in the frame. They are raised by the end ofthe sliding bar B, which is made with an incline, c, Fig. 3, so that as'it moves forward it readily passes under the end of each "rest" and raises them into proper position in relation to the stationary edge a. When these "rests'7 are in their normal position their upper ends are belowr the level ofthe stationary edge a; but as soon as the sliding bar B moves beneath them they are raised up in line with the edge. The movements of the sliding bar B are effected by the vibrating pawl-lever Gr, operating with a continuous vibratory motion produced by some proper working part of the machine. The double pawl F F', pivoted to this lever Gr, is caused v to engage with the teeth of the ratchet E and move the sliding bar B either forward or backward as these arms F F' of thepawl are thrown in contact with the ratchet. The feelers D D' are composed of two curved plates, serrated on their upper edges, and pivoted in the bracket b secured to the sliding bar B. They are arand engages with the serrated edge of the inner "feeler," D, at each side of the machine, and the pulling action of the cloth as it is drawn over the "feeler" causes the upper part of the feeler to be depressed and its lower curved end to be thrown outward and held in contact with the lever H pivoted to the frame of the machine, and operating to control the movements of the pawl F F'. `The pressure of the end of this "feeler" D upon the lever H holds its short arm against the pawl F' with sufficient force to counteract the effect of the spring J upon the other pawl F and keep both pawls clear of the ratchet E, so that, although the lever G vibrates continuously, it gives no movement tothe sliding bar B, because the pawls are not in action. But as soon as the cloth begins to run irregularly, and the "list" or edge on either side runs out of line, it will come in contact with the outer feeler,'7 D', and engages with its serrated ends. This action ofthe list7' upon the "feeler" D', as the cloth continues to be drawn through the machine,

causes the lower end of this feeler7 to be i reached the end of its travel, unless the edge of the cloth draws away from the outer feeler," D', before. As soon as this occurs the feeler D', being free from the action of the cloth, drops back from contact with the lever H and allows the pressure of the short arm of the lever to be removed from the arm F' by the action of the spring J, which acts to throw the armF of thepawl into actionwith theratchetE,

and to draw the other arm, F, out of action. In this position the pawl of the lever G moves the slidin g bar B back again and causes the rests77 to drop back again below the level ot' the stationary edge a, and this movement of the bar B continues until the end ofthe inner feeler, D, (which, being held in the bracket secured to the sliding bar B, moves back and forth with the bar,) comes in contact with the long arm ofthe lever H and presses against it sufficiently to make its short arm bear against the pawl, and with force enough to depress the arm F and raise the arm F clear of the ratchet-teeth.

From this description of the operation of the feelers7 it will be seen that, as long as the cloth is running properly through the machine and keeps in contact with the inner t'eelers,77 D, (one at each side ofthe machine,) the pawl F F is held clear of the ratchet-teeth by the spring,` J and the short arm ot' the lever H; but when the cloth runs out of line and comes in contact with the serrated teeth otl either of the outer feelers, Dl D', the sliding bar comes into action ando )crates the rests to chauffe the travel of the cloth. The cam-plate I, se-

cured upon the end of the sliding bar B, is

brought against' the lon germ of the lever H 'when the bar reaches the end of its backward and I disclaim the devices described and claimed in said patent. f

I Claims.

1. The combination, with the bar B provided with the incline c, ot the feelers7-D D, constructed and operating substantially as described and specified.

2. The combination, with the feelers7 D D and bar B with its incline c and its ratchet E, ot' the double-acting vibrating pawl-lever G, constructed and operating substantially as described and specified.

3. The combination, with the feelers D D',

of the lever H, pawl F F', and spring J, for

the double-acting pawl F F and reciprocating lever Gr and the vibrating lever H to operate the bar B in both directions, all co-operating together substantially in the manner described and specified.

LARGE M. COLLINS.

Witnesses: E. J. DURANT, J. M. PERKINS. 

